The Western Jade
by timberwolf v1
Summary: Killing was all that Ling the Assassin ever knew, but all of that changed when she met an aspiring portmaster named Thallus Resbourne. Now a new chapter in her life begins as she travels with Thallus around Gielinor in his quest to become the greatest adventurer of all time and unlock the secrets left behind in a post-Guthixian world. R&R!
1. Magic is the Spice of Life

**Magic is the Spice of Life**

"So Little Khan, when are we headed out?" Her jade green eyes sparkled with mirth as she playfully pinched me on the cheek

"I thought you were going to stop calling me that Ling." I gently knocked her hand off as I got up and dusted my leggings. Tiny, spiky seed pods clung to them like wool on a sheep despite my best efforts. Ling laughed, filling the warm summer air with a trickle of accented fervor.

"I would if you would listen to me once in a while Little Khan. I told you specifically not to sit in that part of the grass did I not?" She brushed a strand of raven black hair from her face; the metallic glint of her prosthetic hand evident in the afternoon sun. "I may not be too familiar with Western flora, but it doesn't take a botanist to recognize unfriendly plant life."

"Hey cut me some slack will ya? We've been walking all day," I pointed to my worn out combat boots, but she waved me off as usual.

"Excuses, excuses. My legs are just as tired as yours, but you do not see me complaining. Oh and do I need to mention the fact that I am walking barefooted?" She smiled and patted me on the shoulder as I grumbled. "Come let us be off."

I learned early on that there were no arguments when it came to mundane and trivial matters with Ling. She was precise and swift with her decisions, as expected of one of the most deadly assassins in Gielinor history. I hefted the pack carrying our supplies onto my back and hurried to catch up with her brisk pace. Chatter came in small, occasional bursts, but for the most part we walked together in silence, enjoying the tranquility of the scenic route that led to the sleepy town of Yanille. And in that sleepy town was the one place that I could truly call home, or at least the portal to my home. As if reading my mind, Ling inquired about the very subject.

"Forgive me for asking again, but I still cannot seem to wrap my head around it. You say you live in a portal?" She tilted her head slightly, betraying the confused expression written on her face. "How is that possible?"

"Magic," I said without hesitation. "Anything that happens in this world that doesn't seem possible is most likely the result of magic." Although it wasn't the most fluid answer, she seemed to accept it with a nod.

"I do not dispute the power of magic, it seems to embedded deeply in the fabric of life here in the West."

"Oh? There are no wizards or spellcasters in the East Ling?" This was certainly news to me. Although I had never visited the Eastern Lands personally, I had heard many strange and interesting fables about them. Savage descriptions of ferocious beasts and brutal warlords were enough for me to suspect the use of magicks.

"There are, but...how should I put this?" Ling paused for a moment before continuing. "Magic in the East is mostly a spiritual entity. There are monks and others that dabble occasionally in it for use in their temples and in rituals, but typically no one thinks of magic the way you do." An unreadable expression flashed across the assassin's face. "You have to understand that when villagers are starving and scraping to get by each day, they are not looking to understand the deep nuisances of magic."

I nodded. Survival comes first after all.

"I believe those are the city walls are they not?" She pointed towards the faint outline of the towering white brick walls.

"Yes. I'd recognize those behemoths anywhere. In fact, I usually get here through the Lodestone Network."

"Lodestone Network?" Ling stared at me with curious eyes.

"Ah did I forget to tell you? The wizards from the second incarnation of the Wizards Tower built the Lodestone Network shortly after their discovery of teleportation spells."

More magic, I should have known," chuckled Ling, shaking her head. "How do these things work exactly?"

"It's pretty simple really. In fact you don't have to know anything about magic really to use them." At this, Ling's eyes lit up like a pair of freshly cut emeralds. "All you have to do is stand next to one and it'll register your unique presence before activating and allowing you to teleport there." The assassin took this revelation in stride, nodding her head deep in thought.

"Wait a minute," she said holding up a finger. "I understand that I can teleport there, the question is where exactly am I teleporting from?" _  
><em>

"Very astute observation Ling. The answer is-anywhere!"

She stopped in place forcing me to look back over my shoulder.

"Anywhere? What do you mean?"

I laughed at the seriousness etched on her face. It was fierce, yet strangely attractive. "I mean what I mean," I replied, shrugging as I resumed walking. Ling, however, didn't seem pleased with my answer as she nimbly leapt in front of me, greeting me with an ominous smile.

"Explain."

"I don't know what there is to explain Ling. Like I said, I meant what I meant. You'll see once we get to my house." She frowned slightly before turning around and heading off in the direction of Yanille.

"Hey wait up! Ling!"

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><p>We made it to the city quicker than I had anticipated, although the familiar glow of dusk was beginning to creep its way around our surroundings. We were greeted by the sight of a crude looking moat; its center populated with large, ugly creatures known as Ogres. They shuffled about aimlessly, frequently scratching their heads with their large wooden clubs.<p>

"What are those things?" asked Ling with widened eyes. She rested her hand on the pommel of a dagger nestled within her belt.

"Those are Ogres. They are big brutes, but are dumber than a sack of rocks." Ling and I stopped just on the outskirts of the moat, careful not to step on the strange looking purple water. "See?" I plucked a long branch from the ground and prodded it into the pool. "This water is not even knee high for a human. These Ogres could cross it easily, if they weren't so stupid."

Ling eyed the water suspiciously. "Why is the water this color? Is this more magic?"

"I doubt it. You don't need magic to deal with Ogres. No this looks like remnants of their urine most likely." The gagging noises coming from my companion brought a small grin to my face. "Don't worry, Ogre piss is odorless. I wouldn't drink any of it though."

We walked away from the Ogre moat and approached the large circular stone structure sitting next to a section of the city wall. A small round plinth jutted out from the center of the stoned circle; inscribed with runic symbols and glowing occasionally. The crest of Yanille was embedded evenly on four sides of the circle, a constant reminder of the destination it brought for travelers.

"What do I do?" Ling asked, uncertainty hidden in her voice.

"Just stand next to it and it'll glow bright once you've activated it."

Her steps were slow, but she eventually made it onto the stoned ground. A small buzz could be heard as the Lodestone Network attempted to register her presence. Suddenly the buzzing ceased and all that could be heard was the sound of a violin by a nearby wandering musician.

"Did...did it work?" Ling looked around, puzzled. "I don't think it-oh!" Her thoughts were interrupted as a brilliant flash of light jolted up from the plinth and briefly illuminated the sky, undoubtedly blinding any passer-by birds. And just as quickly as it had come, the light show was over in the snap of a finger. _Just like that _I thought, reminiscing about my first time activating a Lodestone. Ling, looking a bit startled, turned towards me, her eyes asking an obvious question.

"Congratulations Ling, you've activated your first ever Lodestone!" I flashed her a smile and gave her a thumbs up. "Now come on, let's get into town before it gets too late and we get locked out!" Ling nodded and wandered over, occasionally looking back at the mysterious structure she had just interacted with. As we walked up toward the large wooden double doors which served as the gates into Yanille's western entrance, we were greeted by the sight of numerous roving guards, all clad in study steel chainmail armor.

"Security is heavy here I see," observed Ling as she eyed the guards warily, who in turn returned their own suspicious glances.

"Ogre presence is the reason. Feldip Hills lies to the south of Yanille and is completely populated by them. The town is always on the lookout for Ogre attacks, but I think they've overblown the threat in all honesty."

"Really? And why would you say that? A lone Ogre could easily take out dozens of armed men I would think."

I regarded Ling with a wry smile. "The Wizard's Guild is situated here in Yanille and is home to some of the most powerful magic users in all of Gielinor." Ling's eyes widened in surprise. "True, a lone Ogre could dispatch these guards rather easily, but they're just for show mainly-a safety blanket so to speak for the citizens. The real strength lies with the magic users here. One wizard from that Guild could probably take out an entire army of Ogres by himself!"

"Impressive. I may have to acquaint myself with magic one of these days."

"I can help you with the basic principles of it, it's really not that hard."

"I know you can Thallus," Ling said as she smiled and squeezed my arm. "So where is your house?"

"Right over there actually," I said as I pointed out a large, glowing portal situated atop an impressive stone monument. But before we could take another step, a man clad in platemail armor bearing the holy cross of Saradomin stepped in front us. He wielded a sturdy looking battleaxe with just one hand and his cape billowed in the early evening breeze; the colors of Yanille evident in the design.

"Halt there you two! Are you friend or foe?"

Ling scowled and drew into a defensive stance, ready to strike at a moment's notice. I, however, was well aware of who this man was and he posed no threat to us whatsoever. I smirked.

"Hello Colonel Radick, how's the weather been?"

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><p><strong>An: So the basis of this story is the player character/adventurer traveling around with Ling the Assassin as they do various quests and such. Not going to give out any spoilers, but I will try to tie them all in together rather than it just being a hodge podge of random quests. As to why I chose Ling? I think it's the allure of being from the Eastern Lands. She literally has no experience in matters of the West aside from dealing with the player character at Ports and so I thought it'd be an interesting concept to have her around as she learns about this new, foreign land. Her backstory will be revealed slowly as the story progresses and hopefully a lot of questions will be answered :P. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this introductory chapter and don't forget to leave comments/thoughts/reviews! **


	2. Home Sweet Home

**~Home Sweet Home~**

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><p>"I shan't repeat myself again. Are you friend or foe?"<p>

"Friend Radick, friend." I said holding my hands in the air. "We are merely attempting to enter my home in the house portal." At the sound of the word "friend" Colonel Radick nodded and bid us farewell before walking back to the western entrance. Ling sheathed the dagger she had pulled out, eyeing the retreating Colonel warily.

"Is it customary for soldiers to engage people in such a hostile manner?"

"Not at all," I chuckled. "Colonel Radick may not be all that bright, but he has good intentions." I could see the doubt festered in Ling's eyes as she walked over to me. "Ogres raided Yanille when Radick was just a little boy. They killed his parents."

Ling frowned. "I see." She opened her mouth as if to say something more, but hesitated and remained mute.

"Ling?"

"It is nothing. Shall we enter the portal now?" I simply smiled and nodded an affirmative, making a mental note to talk to her about whatever it was that was on her mind later. As we approached the glowing disc-shaped panel of energy, a small poof of smoke suddenly appeared before us, leaving behind a curious looking skull. It was wearing a blue hat and carried a large brown satchel in its mouth.

"Morning Thallus!" the skull croaked.

"Evening Pete," I said, bending down to pet the the skull known as Postie Pete. "Got anything for me?"

"Actually I do! I've delivered a package to your residence. I've got a note here for you. Let's see...ah here it is!" Pulling out a small scroll bound with string, Pete handed the note to me and bid us farewell before poofing off to Guthix knows where.

"What was that thing?"

"That was Postie Pete. He's the best undead mailman I know." Ling regarded me with a bemused expression, but decided not to press the matter further and instead asked me about the note.

"What does it say?"

"Let's see here..." I untied the loose string and quickly scanned the contents of the scroll before reading it aloud to Ling.

"From the R.P.D.T...a parcel consisting of one large and totally inconspicuous crate assured to not contain anything dangerous at all has been delivered to the home of one Thallus Resbourne."

Ling and I exchanged a suspicious look.

"Something is...off about the wording of this note," said Ling as I handed over the scroll to her. She glossed over the text herself thoroughly before turning to me. "What is the R.P.D.T?"

"Runescape Parcel Delivery Team. They are responsible for delivering letters, packages, and other assorted items to citizens across western Gielinor."

"It says here at the bottom that they did not check the contents of this package and that the sender's assurances have not been verified with them." Ling looked at me worriedly.

"I know Ling," I assured her, trying my best to stifle a yawn. "It's most likely a trap of some sort, but what other options do we have? We have to get into my house."

"Could we not try a different house portal? You said yourself that there were more of these scattered about."

"It doesn't quite work that way. My house is linked directly to the Yanille portal. Other people have their houses linked through other portals." Ling folded her arms, impatiently waiting for me to finish my explanation. "Long story short, no we cannot use a different house portal."

Ling sighed. "Well then be on guard."

"Aren't I always?" I smirked, giving her a small wink. Her expression softened as she gave me a playful shove.

"No and that's why I am constantly worrying about you, Little Khan."

Bracing ourselves, we stepped forward into the light; the teleportation magic working its way through our bodies as we rapidly dematerialized. A blinding flash illuminated my field of vision before the familiar sight of my chapel altar came into view. It was a shrine dedicated to the fearsome visage of Bob the Cat, a fierce feline friend that I had come across several times in my travels across Gielinor. Dusting myself off and helping Ling to her feet off the grassy floor, I surveyed the house for any sign of the suspicious package.

"Do you see anything?" Ling asked, looking around in awe at the small garden we were currently in. A pair of magnificent looking trees, their leaves shimmering with a magical aura, were lined up against the dark brick walls of the house's exterior walls. A number of other tropical plants graced our presence while the purplish glow of the exit portal provided the perfect backdrop to accentuate their large, shiny leaves.

A small walk away gave rise to another garden, this one of more temperate climates. An impressive ornamental fountain was the centerpiece of a garden surrounded by a unique collage of contrasting styles. The towering yet, sophisticated blue fencing, partially hidden by impressively tall hedging, complemented the small, showy flowers that dotted the small landscape.

"Nothing here in the garden, though that's not too surprising." I replied walking alongside Ling. "I specifically told Pete to leave any packages in my workshop." She stopped and stooped down to pick up a small yellow daffodil. She carefully tucked the petite flower above one of her ears before turning to me timidly.

"Do you think look suits me?"

"...Stunning."

"Why thank you Thallus. You can close your mouth now though, you might choke on a fly." She giggled and slapped me on the arm before hooking it with her own. The warmth of her touch was enough to send a shiver down my spine. "So where's this workshop of yours? All I see are beautiful flowers, majestic trees, and lots of doors." It was true. The entrance portal to my home led directly to a garden courtyard, covered on all sides by walls of soot-black brick, inspired by the dwarven architects of Keldagrim. All of the wooden double doors that led to the interior of my home were currently closed, save for the one that led to the chapel of Bob the Cat.

"Right this way m'lady." I said, bowing curtly to Ling as I escorted her back to the entrance portal. Entering the doorway directly to the east of the chapel, we came upon the interior of my workshop. I didn't think it was anything special. A standard work bench here, an armor repair stand there. Ling seemed to be impressed, however, gaping at the multitude of tools hanging on the walls.

"This is your own personal workshop?" she asked, examining a fine-toothed saw. "You could build many things in here with all of this equipment!"

"It's nothing much honestly," I laughed. "I come in here once in a while to repair my armor on the stand. That's about it."

Ling did not seem convinced. "You said you built this-," she extended her arms in an exaggerated motion. "-All of this by yourself?"

"Well yes, but the dwarves in Keldagrim taught me well." I shrugged, remembering my time spent in the dwarven city fondly.

"Ah don't be so modest Thallus. Even though the dwarves guided you, it was you who built this place." She put away the saw and grabbed a hold of my hands. "It was these two hands that did it. It's okay to take pride in personal accomplishments, especially an accomplishment such as this magnificent home you've constructed for yourself."

Heat crept up my cheeks, forcing me to turn away from her piercing gaze. "It is rather cozy, I'll admit."

Thankfully Ling let go of my hands, stepping back and smirking. "Cozy you say? Like that gilded 4-poster bed you have in the other room over there?" She pointed a thumb to the posh bed that governed the bedroom adjacent to the workshop, giving a knowing smile that stirred something primal in me; an animal waiting to be pounce on its prey.

"Heh. I might have gone overboard with that, but I had some extra gold leaves laying around," I said, scratching my head sheepishly. "It's convenient though. If you take a left out of my bedroom, you'll come into one of my studies. Always handy in case I need to read myself to sleep."

"That does seem pretty convenient. Maybe later tonight we can-oh?" Ling looked down and noticed a black flipper tapping against her skintight leather leggings. "What is this?" I immediately recognized my feathered, cold-loving friend.

"Oh hey Charlie, what are you doing out of the menagerie?"

Ling looked at the creature curiously, giving it a light pet on the head. "What kind of bird is a "Charlie" Thallus?"

"Charlie is just his name," I chuckled. "He's a penguin. They're flightless birds that usually live in colder climates, though he seems to have adapted quite nicely to the volcanic habitat I've set up in my menagerie."

"_As long as that pet feeder keeps givin me free grub, I'll live anywhere bro."_

"That thing was pretty dusty last I checked, Charlie. Maybe I'll have Aloriss clean it up next time he comes in."

Ling swiveled her head back and forth, looking between me and Charlie. "Who are you talking to Thallus?" Ah, right. I made another mental reminder to myself that Ling was not well versed in the ways of magic.

"I'm talking to Charlie," I said, watching as Ling's eyes widened in surprise. "We can communicate since I have a pretty good grasp of the art of Summoning." Before she could offer a question, I quickly added, "It's magic stuff, Ling. I'll tell you more about it later."

"Ah...okay. I'll hold you to that." She nodded, smiling at me before turning her attention back to Charlie. "Nice to meet you Charlie, my name is Ling."

"_Nice to meet you sweetcheeks. You've got nice hair!" _I laughed as Ling scrunched up her face, enduring the squawking sounds that Charlie was no doubt assaulting her ears with._  
><em>

"_Say Thallus is this your mate? How many eggs are you guys planning to have?"_

I glared at the small penguin, causing it to squawk in delight. Evidently, this also caught the attention of Ling, who was wondering why Charlie had stopped croaking at her.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing. I was just telling him about a funny story when I was adventuring up north near Trollheim."

"Oh I see. I would like to hear that story sometime as well."

"_Pillow talk is a key component of any healthy relationship Thallus!" _croaked Charlie with utter delight. Mental note number three of the day was to cut his fish rations from the pet feeder._  
><em>

_"_...Anyways. Say Charlie have you seen a package around here that was delivered earlier?"

"_Yeah. There's a small box sitting in the corner over there."_

Sure enough, a small, nondescript wooden box was situated behind the banner making stand of my workshop. I picked it up and examined it carefully. It wasn't that large, perhaps the size of a large tome.

"Well here it is. I wonder what's inside?"

"Only one way to find out," said Ling moving to stand beside me, her sight trained on the box like an archer on his target.

"_Well I'm heading back to the pet house. Don't do anything crazy you lovebirds!" _Charlie cackled before waddling off and disappearing past the bedroom. I grumbled slightly, but Ling's tapping of my shoulder returned my attention to the matter at hand. Before anything could be done, however, the box suddenly began to shake, rumbling as if a scared animal were trying to break free from its box trap. I instinctively flung the box out the doorway where it landed on the soft grass of the garden and ceased to tremble. Ling and I looked each other with alarmed faces, but we didn't have time to articulate our thoughts as the box hummed before enlarging to a size rivaling that of the large exit portal. It rocked back and forth for a few seconds before the contents of the crate exploded in a brilliant flash of light, forcing Ling and I to take cover behind the workbench as debris and shrapnel fell around us like deadly rain. Once the dust had settled, I checked to make sure that Ling was alright before carefully sneaking out to take a look at what exactly had just happened.

Nothing could've prepared us for the sight we were about to witness.

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><p><strong>An: Was having a really hard time figuring out how to end this chapter. I'm trying to sync the story up as I do the actual quest ingame so I'm literally like 1% in. Next chapter will feature a (hopefully) epic fight scene, that's all I can say. As always thanks for reading!**


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